Addisox l



(No Model.)

A. L. WITHERS, Jr.

COMBINED RAiLWAY CHAIR AND SLEEPER.

No.260, 724-. Patented July 4,1882.

' WITNESSES 7v. 5?

Nv PETERS. HMO-Lithograph". Wauhinglon, D (I,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ADDISON L. WITHERS, JR, OF SUMMIT POINT, WEST VIRGINIA.

COMBINED RAILWAY CHAIR AND S LEEPER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 260,724, dated July 4,1882.

Application'filcd April 1,1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ADDISON L. WITHERS, J r.,a citizen of the United States, residing at Summit Point, in the countyof Jefferson and State of West Virginia, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Combined Railway Chair and Sleeper, of which thefollowing is a specification, reference being had therein to theaccompanying drawings, and in which Figure 1 is a plan view of myimproved combined railway chair and sleeper. Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5, and 7 aredetailed views thereof; and Fig. 6 is a similar plan view, showing theapplication of key and cheek-pieces to an ordinary tie and rail.

This invention relates to an improved combined sleeper and chair forrailway-rails, havin g for its object to dispense with the ordinarytie-chair, fish-plates, bolts, and spikes, thereby greatly promotingsimplicity, reducing expense, and facilitating the laying of the track;and it consists in the employment of a sleeper adapted to permit theattachment thereto of a tie-rod and the securing thereon of the rail, bymeans substantially as hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed.

As will be observed by referring to the accompanyin g drawings, Aindicates the sleeper,

formed in two sections, a a, one placed under each rail of the track.The sleeper A has a socket formed inits upper surface for the rail torest in, providing it with cheeks a a of which a is beveled toward itslower edge to fit upon the flange on one side of the rail, and thus aidto secure the-rail in position as against lateral and verticaldisplacement. This inner cheekpiece, M, has a tapering dovetailedgroove, b, extending through it at right angles to the socket of thesleeper, to permit the connecting thereto without other fastenin gs ofthe tie-rod B, made with a tapering beveled enlargement, b, at each end,fitting in said groove. Endwise movement of the tie-rod is prevented bythe rails resting in the sockets of the sleeper and in contact with theends of said rod. The other or outer side, a, of the socket of thesleeper is perpendicular to permit the ready insertion from abovetherein of the rail, which is held as against vertical displacement onthat side by means of a movable cheek-piece,

a, tapered toward its upper surface, to slide into and be held in saidsocket, and beveled at its inner end to enable it to rest upon theflange on that side of the rail. The checkpiece 0 is'itself secured inplace by means of a key, 0, forked at its lower end; and having its armsthus formed turned slightly outward 'to permit the springing of the keyinto the flaring socket d, one-half of the upper portion thereof made inone edge of the cheekpiece 0, and the opposite half and lower portionthereof made in the sleeper, and the wedging of the key in place whendriven home.

It is obvious that the key will by its wedging action secure itself inplace as agains downward displacement.

To provide for the reception and holding in place of the usual curvedguard-rails at a curve in the track, the sleepers used at the curvesareprovided in each section a with a duplication of the rail-socket, theseparating wall or partition e between the two sockets thus formedhaving a dovetailed groove, which receives a correspondingly-shapedblock, 6. (See Fig. 1.) The block 6 projects over the lower-rail flangeon each side to assist in securing it in place.

It will be learned from the foregoing that the ordinary tie, chair,fish-plates, bolts, and spikes are dispensed with, which effects a greatsaving of expense, promotes simplicity, and facilitates the laying ofthe track.

It is observed. that the key is made with a solid-head, or, in otherwords, the arms of the forked portion are not permitted'to extend to ,apoint where it comes in contact with the as and for the purpose setforth.

2. The combination of the tie-rod B b, the sleeper A, having therail-socket, the cheeks a (t and the dovetailed groove 15, thecheekpieee c, and the forked key 0 with its arms turned outward,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination of the tie bar or rod B I), the sleeper A, having thedouble rail-socket, the separating-partition 0,having a dovetailedgroove, the dovetailed block or slide 0, the 1 sliding cheek-piece c,and the key G substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ADDISON L. WITHERS, JR. Witnesses:

JOSEPH FORREST, HARRY BERNHARD.

